Event also features WA Attorney General Bob Ferguson, Mariners announcer Tom Hutyler and CAIR-WA’s civil rights clients

(SEATTLE, WA, 5/2/2017) – On Sunday, May 7, Khizr Khan, father of fallen U.S. Army Captain and Purple Heart recipient Humayun Khan and one of a number of American Muslim “Gold Star” parents nationwide, will speak at a fundraiser for the Council on American-Islamic Relations of Washington state (CAIR-WA) in Bellevue, Wash.  

Tickets will be available for purchase at the door and details are available at www.cairseattle.org/banquet

[NOTE: Khizr Khan will be available for interviews via phone starting immediately until Friday, May 5. He will be available for in-person interviews in the Seattle-area from the afternoon of Sunday, May 7 until 9:30 a.m. on Monday, May 8.]

The event will also feature Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson and Seattle Mariners announcer Tom Hutyler, among many others, as well as an awards celebration in which Attorney General Ferguson and his staff will receive the “Ally for Justice” award for their public support of American Muslim families and children, and their legal challenge to the unconstitutional “Muslim Ban.”

WHAT:  American Muslim ‘Gold Star’ father to speak at American Muslim civil rights group’s fundraiser

WHEN:  Sunday, May 7, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.  

WHERE:  Meydenbauer Convention Center, 11100 NE 6th St, Bellevue, WA 98004 

INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES: A number of Seattle-area Muslim U.S. military veterans are available for interviews immediately and at the event. Khizr Khan will be available for interviews via phone starting immediately until Friday, May 5.  He will be available for in-person interviews in the Seattle-area from the afternoon of Sunday, May 7 until 9:30 a.m. on Monday, May 8.

CONTACT:  CAIR-WA Executive Director Arsalan Bukhari, Email: abukhari@cair.com; Phone: 206.931.3655 

“CAIR-WA is an efficiently-run, high-performance organization, with five staff members, numerous interns, some 100 volunteers statewide, and an office near downtown Seattle.  CAIR-WA’s total expenses in 2016 averaged $18,000 per month.  We rely almost entirely on donations from local community members,” said CAIR-WA Executive Director Arsalan Bukhari.

SEE: www.cairseattle.org/ourfinancials

Bukhari cited CAIR-WA’s numerous accomplishments during 2016, including:

 

• Responded to about 400 complaints from local Muslims and resolved over 50 cases just in 2016, all at zero cost to our clients.
• Held 20 results-focused meetings with local Muslims and leaders like Chief Justice Barbara Madsen, Gov. Jay Inslee, Seattle & Spokane City Councils, resulting in leaders making media and other public statements affirming American Muslims’ everyday lives & contributions to our nation and to local communities.
• Had a major political party pass a resolution (click here to read it) recognizing contributions of American Muslims at its state convention.
• Trained 50 diverse local Muslims to speak effectively to media, resulting in more than 10,000 media mentions with diverse spokespersons.”

 

About American Muslims:

• According to the Dept. of Defense, over 10,000 American Muslims serve in our nation’s armed forces, and many have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, including U.S. Army Specialist Kareem Khan, U.S. Army Major James Ahearn, U.S. Army Specialist Rasheed Sahib, and U.S. Army Captain Humayun Khan.”
• There are about 50,000 American Muslim medical doctors across the nation saving lives every day. 1 in 18 medical doctors across America is an American Muslim, saving lives every day.
• Thousands of American Muslims service in our nation’s law enforcement agencies including almost 1,000 just in the NYPD: www.nypdmo.com
• A 2009 Gallup Poll on American Muslims found that American Muslim women are the second most highly educated religious group of women in the U.S., and are just as likely as American Muslim men to have a college degree or higher education.
• Too often, we have seen waves of religiously loaded news coverage of crimes and commentary when the suspect is Muslim, result in surges of anti-Muslim hate violence and bullying of Muslim children.  A study conducted by Media Tenor of primetime news 2007-2013 found that Islam is featured in primetime news more than any other religion, and the coverage is overwhelmingly negative.
• Research shows that it’s the news coverage and commentary, not the event itself, that determines how the public will react and whether members of a minority group will face hate violence.  Research by University of Hawaii, University of Exeter & National Hispanic Media Coalition indicate that media content can have a direct effect on hate and prejudice against minority groups.  Accurate language can inform readers, while loaded language misleads readers and fuels hate and prejudice.
• Throughout 2015, CAIR offices nationwide received, on average, at least 1-2 daily reports of hate crimes targeting an American Muslim or someone perceived to be Muslim.

CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

La misión de CAIR es mejorar la comprensión del Islam, fomentar el diálogo, proteger las libertades civiles, capacitar a los musulmanes estadounidenses, y construir coaliciones que promuevan la justicia y la comprensión mutua.

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